Professional fees freed

Press, 2 August 1977, Page 6

Professional fees freed

PA Wellington I Restrictions on dividends, [directors’ fees and professional charges will lapse | when the wage freeze comes off on August 14, but the Government will probably reiquire professional bodies io advise the new Arbitration Commission of their scales of (charges. The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon), announcing this after the Cabinet met yesterday morning, said that if professional charges had to be notified to the commission, the Government woul be able to “keep an eye on them.” II But if the increases in professional fees were too big, controls would be reimposed [immediately, he said. There would be no restrictions on dividends and directors’ fees after August 14, because they were “selfpolicing.” These controls had been included in the freeze package only for completeness, said Mr Muldoon. I He said the Control of i Prices Act applied to professional fees, and prosecutions I could be brought under the profiteering section of the act where charges were grossly I above normal. I The Government was "not I far away” from the appoint-

ment of members to the new Arbitration Commission, the Prime Minister told a questioner.